


Dearest Master Baggins

by hnycks



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Love Confessions, Love Letters, M/M, Thorin is in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:14:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29077689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hnycks/pseuds/hnycks
Summary: Thorin writes Bilbo a love letter in case he doesn't survive their journey.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Comments: 3
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

Dearest Master Baggins,

I’ve asked Nori to deliver this to you on the chance that I don’t survive to reclaim my throne. If anyone is sneaky enough to evade fate, it’s him. 

When first I saw you, in your little hobbit hole, I must admit that I was not impressed. Gandalf had told me that you would be our 14th member, I was sure you wouldn’t survive the journey. You looked as though you had never stepped foot out of your routine. I wasn’t sure you would even agree to join us. I meant what I said when I said you looked more like a grocer than a burglar.

When we rested in Rivendell, I thought you would have preferred to stay there. You seemed so comfortable there, as though you had found a new home. At the time I figured that you were better off there, that you wouldn’t get yourself hurt there. Then we got separated in the mountains. I confess I was angry at you. Angry at the thought of you leaving us. But you hadn’t, and I began to realize that you had no intention of leaving us. This is when I saw you as more than a grocer.

When Azog caught up to us, I was sure you would die. You had nowhere to sneak off to this time. I would have never forgiven myself if I allowed you to be killed. I was weakened by my anger and my fear. I almost fell to Azog on that cliff. The last thing I remember from the cliffs was an image of you. You stood over me with only your tiny sword between you and certain death. This is when I saw you as more than a companion.

It has taken me half of this letter to tell you why I’m writing you this letter. My dearest Bilbo. I have fallen in love with you. It truly began when I woke on the carrock. I was prepared to yell at you. You risked your life to save me, and I was so upset that you took a risk that I forgot why you had done it. But when I saw your face, it all melted away. All I could think about was holding you in my arms. I had not stopped to consider that you may not feel what I feel. 

I need to tell you how I feel. With every step closer to my home, I think less of the Arkenstone and more of having you by my side. With every step closer to my mountain, I feel in my heart that you are my home. I feel that even if we do not succeed in our mission, this will all have been worth it for simply meeting you. When we reach the end of our journey, I need you to understand that my love for you surpasses my love for my ancestral home. You are the most valuable treasure I seek.

As I write this, you are sleeping across the room from me. This is our last night in Laketown, maybe our last night. By this time tomorrow, we will have breached the mountain. I want nothing more than to spend this night by your side. Alas, I fear the consequences of confessing to you before we meet a quick end. If we survive tomorrow, I promise to tell you. Either way, know in your heart that mine will always belong to you. Whether it’s beating, or still. My heart, and all its love, is yours.

With all my love,  
Thorin


	2. The Reading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo reads Thorin's letter, and he has something to say about it.

Bilbo Baggins paced the floor of Thorin’s bed chambers. Smaug was defeated. Thorin had succumbed to gold-sickness, and overcome it with some help from Bilbo. The war against Azog had been fought and won. Most of the company came out the other side without life-threatening injuries, of course, no one came out without their own bumps and bruises. Thorin had been hit the hardest, having his own sword driven through his stomach. He would have bled out on the battlefield had Bilbo not gotten to him in time. He still hadn’t awakened yet. Dori and Oin said that he may still pass. Bilbo hadn’t left his side since he found him. 

“Master Baggins?” Nori’s voice carried tentatively from the other side of the door, “May I come in, please?” Bilbo was too lost in concern to use his voice, but he opened the door. Seeing Nori’s concern seemed to bring him back from his worries.

“Nori, thank you for visiting,” Bilbo moved to sit on the foot of Thorin’s bed while he talked, “Dori says nothing’s changed. We still don’t know if he will make it.” The last part seemed to choke itself out of him. Bilbo still hadn’t come to terms with the possibility that his friend may not survive. The mithril shirt that Thorin had gifted him still hung on his chest like a security blanket. The light-weight of the shirt briefly reminded Bilbo of the swaddles that hobbit-mothers used on fauntlings.

“I heard,” Bilbo looked at him, slightly surprised, truthfully he had already forgotten Nori’s presence. “I ran into Dori in the kitchen. I came here for a reason though.” Nori knelt next to Bilbo and pulled a parchment from his inside coat pocket. “Thorin gave me this, in Laketown. He wanted me to wait in case he, you know,” Bilbo held his breath, “But the way things look right now, I figure you need him right now.” He offered the letter to Bilbo, placing it in his lap. 

“He’s not dead.” Bilbo’s voice was hard. Harder than Nori had ever heard the hobbit speak. “He’s not dead!” He was near shouting now, he stood tall to confront the dwarf. “He is gonna pull through. I won’t hear anything else.” Nori jumped at his tone, before recomposing his compassionate tone.

“I didn’t mean anything like that,” Nori placed his hand on Bilbo’s shoulder, “We all want him to recover. I’m only giving you this if you want the option to hear his words. We’ve all noticed how you guys act around each other,” Bilbo stiffened, “I know that nothing any one of us says can truly comfort you, I’m hoping he can though.” Bilbo relaxed, he rested his forehead on Nori’s chest. Nori brought his arms around Bilbo’s shoulders to give him a hug. 

“Thank you, Nori.” Bilbo released from the hug first. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, that was very rude of me. Thank you, for bringing this to me.” Nori gave him a reassuring smile.

“I’ll leave you to it then. Be warned, I heard whispers that Bofur is going to force himself in here to feed you. You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t bring Fili and Kili with him.” Nori joked as he left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. Bilbo watched him leave with a new smile on his face. It had been a few days since he had eaten a decent meal, probably longer since he had a real smile on his face. It had been a week since they reclaimed the mountain and Thorin had been unconscious for the last three days.

Nori was right about their relationship. Officially Bilbo and Thorin were friends, at least Bilbo thought so. They had grown close once Thorin accepted him as part of the company. They lost any concept of personal space when they were together. Nothing that would be considered indecent, but they stood closer than friends normally would. Sometimes Thorin’s hand would reach for his, Bilbo was willing to admit that those times made him blush more than a friend would. 

He should read Thorin’s letter. Even though it is supposed to wait, he isn’t ready to consider that as a reality.

“Dearest Master Baggins,” He glanced at Thorin, and returned to his perch at the foot of his bed. Bilbo read on, “I’ve asked Nori to deliver this to you…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Of all the most inconsiderate and rude things-” Bilbo’s voice could be heard from the hallway. Bofur, Fili, and Kili, who were just arriving with Bilbo’s dinner, gave each other quick glances and ran to the king’s chamber. They burst through the door. Bilbo was by the fireplace waving the letter around in his fist. He turned to the trio as soon as they came in.

“Can you believe him? ‘I have fallen in love with you.’ UNBELIEVABLE!” Bilbo stormed about the room. Bofur gave a worried look to the brothers behind him.

“And you don’t feel the same way?” Bofur asked carefully, unwilling to set the hobbit off further. Kili and Fili looked shocked, the kind of shock a child feels when they find out they can’t fly.

“Of course I feel the same way, don’t be ridiculous! I am madly in love with him!” Bilbo still yelled, but a little less wild, as though it hadn’t occurred to him that they thought he wouldn’t feel the same way. Bofur chuckled at his friend.

“Pray tell then, what is so unbelievable?” He grinned even as he was saying it. Kili and Fili were more relaxed now that they knew their uncle wouldn’t be heartbroken.

“What’s un-be-liev-able,” Bilbo enunciated every syllable, “-is that he told me in a letter that I was supposed to read after he died! How dare he assume that death can protect him from this chewing out.” Bilbo glowered at Bofur. 

“I do hope you can forgive me,” came a groaning voice from the bed. Instantly everybody in the room swarmed the bed.

“I’ll go get Oin and Dori!” Bofur shouted as he ran out of the room.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before I died,” Thorin’s voice was gravelly from lack of use, but his smile for Bilbo stretched as far as it could reach.

“How dare you think death can steal you from me.” Bilbo lay on the bed next to Thorin, snuggling as close as he dares without disrupting his wound.

“How do you feel, Uncle?” Fili piped up first.

“Boys! I’m so glad you’re safe. Don’t worry, I’m gonna be alright.” He gently patted their hands.


End file.
